Sustaining The King’s Life - Chapter 243

The king stared at particularly nothing. Lilianne Disfiegro. At first he really didn’t care whether who he was to be wed with. There were so much things that were on his plate. Marriage—that is one of the trivial things he didn’t pay attention to. He had thought that marriage should just have three components: compatibility, meaning, and convenience. Lilianne Disfiegro had a hundred percent score in each of the criteria. Based on how she was assessed, she was the best partner to have.

But now he was having second thoughts.

Why, so?

He was the king. This country that his late father and his predecessors have developed comes first. Feuersturm’s state is the priority. Noah had already cast all his feelings aside, because as the first king had said—emotions could only hinder all his decisions and refrain him from taking the best course of action. Out of all the lessons he had heard from the first king, this was the first thing he found the most important.

Because as soon as he bottled his feelings, the less he felt pain. And not feeling pain didn’t feel good nor bad, because he had finally chose not to care. He used his facial expressions freely, without caring about any other thing other than getting what he wants, or the best result.

One of them is to gain that Heilen girl’s trust.

He smiled, and assumed a gentle personality. He wasn’t that, nor was he a person who was good or bad. He had acted for what was the best; he was Noah, the ninth king of Feuersturm who chooses the best path to take. He was said to be the young king who had achieved more than what his predecessors after the great three kings had done. He was the epitome of a perfect king; but under that he knew they are all wondering why he had never shown his face in the public.

It was because they would be able to tell he was sick. That was one of the main drawback Noah had. And so when they found the Heilen they are searching for, then immediately Noah decided that after she is brought to the castle and her trust had been earned, they would command her to give all her mana to the king. They would slyly deceive her.

At least that was his initial plan.

Until he had spent his time seeing her. Noah couldn’t help but be curious. She wasn’t just a ‘Heilen girl’. Mysteries surrounded her and soon the king had realized she was entwined in a series of thread that connected the two of them. He found her more and more interesting and wanted to see her up close. But every time she would collapse. Her body will shut itself before he would be able to come close.

Noah presumed that perhaps, the one who had sealed her mana, had anticipated this. Whoever it was, they knew Faustina was going to be taken advantage of, so they took the first step of sealing her magic so she wouldn’t be able to give them what they want.

The seal was meant to protect her.

But of course why would he need to tell her that? There was no benefit for him if he tells her this. So he chose not to. He gently smiled and told her she needed to go to the school of magic, to pretend to be someone else, and complete a mission. He drove her to a corner left with no choice but to obey. And he did it without breaking his gentle smile. He led her to believe that this was for the best.

He manipulated her without any effort.

He could have easily taken her mana by taking her lifespan now. But the king knew she was interlocked with a series of threads that connected her peculiarly to him. And that held him back from taking her life…

“Or is that really it?”

The king stared into the darkness. Usually he wouldn’t care about these things. Sheila had already fixed everything for him. He would usually come up with a lie to assure Faustina as well, but somehow—he couldn’t.

Noah found himself being baffled.

Why was he being baffled?

Faustina’s bowed head and her trembling shoulders then flashed in his mind.

He didn’t see her face, or how her reaction was. And the king was torn between discovering more and holding himself back. Because this has happened before—he had let himself lose control for a moment and soon he knew he was allowing his emotion to surge back in. And he couldn’t do that.

‘Your majesty.’

‘Your majesty?’

‘Your majesty!’

‘Y-your majesty.’

Different versions of her appeared before Noah’s mind. Soon he realized he was thinking about her so much that he had already stood up from his throne and was about to head out. He froze as he sees his hand reaching for the knob.

“Roth,” the king called, and the Captain of his knights, Roth, walked away from the dark corner and then ambled his way to the king. He bowed down and saluted.

“Is Abe awake?”

Roth stared. “I believe so.”

Abe had already awoken, but there was no one allowed to go to his room.

“He still doesn’t remember anything.” Roth said. “His name, or ours.”

Silence.

“Are you going to Lady Faustina’s study, Your Majesty?”

The king blinked.

“I believe I saw her still studying.”

“At this hour?” The king frowned, looking at Roth. “It’s already late.”

“She will be returning the day after tomorrow, after all. She needs to catch up with her lessons.” He said. “Will you go to her, your majesty?”

The king stared at Roth. “You’re particularly chatty today.”

Roth turned to Elliot, who was in another corner.

“Elliot told me about what happened.”

“I see,” the king said, opening the throne room’s doors. And without any word, the king left.

“…he’s changing,”

It was Elvis who said this. “He seemed to be more truthful these days.”

“Really?” Lorenz remarked. “I can’t tell what’s his majesty’s real emotions even until now.”

“Lorenz…?! Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be guarding the vice captain?” Elliot scolded. “You know what the king said…!”

“No one’s going to kill him. His amnesia saved him.”

“What?”

“Lorenz.” Roth asserted.

“Yes, yes. I’ll go back now.” Lorenz then smiled playfully. “Goodluck on being stuck in that boring throne room again.”

**

The night was getting deeper and Sheila had finally found the perfect opportunity. There was no guard on duty, and there was no pesky Lorenz Schmidt to be found.

Days of waiting are over.

She has to end this now.

Sheila then opened the door to the vice captain’s chambers. There, she saw him sitting against the bed while looking at the opened windows that displayed the night sky and the moon.

“Abe.” Sheila called.

But he didn’t look at her.

Sheila narrowed her eyes. Does he know she attempted to kill him? Then this should be easier. Sheila then readied her staff, formulating a deadly and silent spell, but then…

“Who… is Abe?” He exclaimed, turning towards her. “Who… am I?”

Sheila halted, with the spell completely interrupted from her surprise. She had lost the chant on the spell formula.

“What do you mean?” Sheila scowled. “YOU are Abe. The vice-captain of the Knighthood of the Firehawk.”

“A…be. Vice captain…” He said. “I… don’t remember.”

Sheila blinked. Now that he had said those words, she noticed he was being talkative—the usual Abe wouldn’t even form a single sentence, nor would he utter a word to her.

“Why can’t I remember anything?”

Sheila then lowered her staff as she went closer to Abe. She then sat by the bed and then faced him. Although she couldn’t see his face, Sheila could feel his mana. This was indeed Abe.

“You really don’t remember anything?” Sheila asked.

There is a possibility that Abe might be tricking her. But what’s his purpose? Would he tell the king she tried to murder him? But if so, then he would have done in in an instant. They said he had been awake for a while now.

Sheila shook her head. It doesn’t matter. Sooner or later, his memories would resurface and he would turn to the king and tell him all things that Sheila had done. She had to deal with him before that happens.

And then as Sheila was about to chant her spell again, she felt a gentle caress on her cheek.

“…la,”

“Huh?”

“Sheila.”

Sheila blinked.

“You… remember me?”

Sheila couldn’t help but think of the things that Abe probably remember—she had to deal with this quick—

“Yes, I do,” a subtle laugh. “You are the first person who had called Abe by his name and told him he was the Vice-captain.”

Sheila’s heartbeat then calmed down. So that’s what he remembered. “Why are you addressing yourself like that?”

Abe then smiled. “It’s because I feel I’m different from the Abe in everyone’s memories. So before the memories return I will address myself like that.”

It was true. He speaks different, and his demeanor was different. It was like he was an entirely different person.

“Sheila,” Abe then leaned to her, and then soon Sheila felt his arms wrapping around her.

“Abe is sorry.”

“Huh?”

“Abe is sorry,” he murmured.

“For turning you blind.”